Mark Rhoades (‘77) of Blair and Victoria Ayotte Brown (‘91) of Grand Island will be inducted into the Nebraska Journalism Hall of Fame during a ceremony Friday, April 25, at the Crowne Plaza, Younes Conference Center North, 707 Talmadge St., Kearney.
The Nebraska Journalism Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Nebraska Press Association and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, honors individuals who have made significant contributions to journalism at the local, state or national level. Since its inception in 1975, 121 journalists have been inducted.
The event will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the program at 6:30 p.m. The evening will also include the announcement of the Harpst Leadership Award and the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism.
For banquet information, visit www.nebpress.com or contact Violet Spader at 402-476-2851 or vs@nebpress.com.
Mark Rhoades, Blair
Mark Rhoades has spent his life in Blair, home to his family’s newspaper business for more than a century. After working alongside his father, Ken, for many years, Rhoades purchased the company in 1997, becoming the fifth generation to own the business. Under his leadership, the company expanded to include additional publications in Nebraska and Iowa. His newspapers have received numerous general excellence awards, as well as the Omaha World-Herald Community Service and Service to Agriculture awards.
Beyond journalism, Rhoades was instrumental in bringing a YMCA branch to Blair and later served as its board president in 1997 and again from 2010 to 2011. He was also the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce director from 1992 to 1994 and remained active with the organization throughout his tenure at the Blair newspaper. In 1997, he was named Blair’s FBLA Person of the Year and was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International.
Rhoades served as Nebraska Press Association president in 2008 and spent many years on its board of directors. In Iowa, he was honored with the Master Editor-Publisher Award in 2014 and became a Heritage Member in 2019.
Rhoades and his wife, Betty, raised their two sons, Chris and Travis, in Blair, where they continue to be active in the community. They have five grandchildren.
Victoria Ayotte Brown, Grand Island
Victoria Ayotte Brown has dedicated more than 30 years to journalism, shaping the industry through digital content, design, editing and newsroom leadership. A 1991 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with degrees in news-editorial and political science, she has made lasting contributions to Nebraska journalism while also influencing the national newspaper landscape.
Brown began her career at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, where she served as Sunday editor and interim news editor. She then joined the Orlando Sentinel in 1994, rising to roles including Sunday A1 designer, copy chief for design and associate presentation editor for planning. Her seven years in Orlando helped shape the paper’s visual storytelling and editorial direction.
In 2002, Brown returned to Nebraska and joined the Lincoln Journal Star, where she spent nearly two decades leading digital strategies, engaging readers and driving newsroom innovation. As presentation editor and later interactivity editor, she managed the newspaper’s emerging social media presence and reader engagement initiatives. She was later promoted to online editor, overseeing digital content strategy, writing breaking news briefs and curating online articles. She then became Nebraska digital editor, managing content distribution for Lee Enterprises newspapers, including the Omaha World-Herald and Journal Star.
Her influence expanded when she was named Midwest regional digital editor, overseeing content sharing across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Following a corporate restructuring, she transitioned to Lee Enterprises’ strategic content support team, training journalists in digital storytelling, audience engagement, SEO and video strategy.
Brown now serves as the Central Nebraska editor of the Grand Island Independent, Kearney Hub and York News-Times. She also has mentored future journalists as a professional-in-residence at UNL’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Brown’s contributions to Nebraska journalism bridge traditional editorial values with modern digital strategies, ensuring the industry remains at the forefront of innovation.
